Dog perishes in Auburn house fire

A dog died in a smoky, stubborn four-alarm house fire this afternoon, Fire Chief Stephen Coleman said.

No people were home at the time of the fire, Chief Coleman said.

About 2 p.m., the Fire Department got a call reporting smoke coming from the front of the house at 16 Hampton St., he said.

Firefighters arrived in three or four minutes and called a second alarm at 2:06, the chief said.

“On arrival we had a good smoke condition coming from the home,” Chief Coleman told reporters. “We made an interior attack. The fire was very stubborn. It burnt out the staircase on both the first and the second floor. It was a very difficult construction. It has wire in the walls and ceilings, a very unique construction type, so it made the overhaul and extinguishment very difficult.”

Fighting the fire proved extremely difficult.

“(The) cold conditions take a toll on the firefighters, not to mention the snow that we have to walk through to maneuver around the house; it's very challenging to raise ladders to the building, drag hose lines — it makes it a little more complicated,” the chief said.

Firefighters smashed windows and used chain saws as they broke through walls and ceilings.

The fire is under investigation by both the fire and police departments. Chief Coleman declined to give an estimate of damage, but he declared the house uninhabitable.

Family members at the scene did not want to talk to a reporter.

Built in 1932, the 2,200-square-foot single family home is owned by David S. Carlson, according to assessor's records.